Elon Musk’s Tesla aims to start mass production of its electric pickup truck, the Cybertruck by the end of 2023, Reuters reported. Last month, the company said it was working on readying its Austin, Texas, plant to build the new model with ‘early production’ set to begin in the middle of 2023.
However, it also means that the hundreds of thousands of potential customers who have paid $100 to reserve a Cybertruck will have to wait another year, possibly till 2024 to get their hands on the futuristic vehicle.
The Cybertruck is one of the most highly anticipated and closely tracked electric vehicle launches ever, but what makes it so special? Here’s all you need to know.
Tesla Cybertruck design
While introducing the Cybertruck, Musk had warned that its design is polarising, which turned out to be true as the Cybertruck had a Blade Runner-inspired silhouette with no curves and a pyramid shape unlike any other truck ever. The Cybertruck also features hexagonal wheel arches, a peak at the roof and a fastback-like slope covering the bed or ‘vault’ in Tesla parlance.
The exterior shell of the Cybertruck is built from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless steel and it also features Tesla armour glass to provide ultimate durability and passenger protection. Tesla claims the exoskeleton is nearly impenetrable and every component is designed for superior strength and endurance.
The first prototype at the presentation did not have any conventional side mirrors. However, the final product will feature side mirrors and it may be smaller than the prototype for convenience.
For the interior, the Cybertruck has six seats with additional storage under the second-row seats. It features an advanced 17” touchscreen with an all-new customized user interface and infotainment system.
Powertrains
Tesla initially announced that the Cybertruck will be available in single, dual and tri-motor models. The single-motor model would be rear-wheel drive, and models with multiple motors would feature all-wheel drive.
Later, Musk tweeted that the pickup will first arrive with four motors (one at each wheel). This motor-at-each-wheel design will allow more extreme performance and the ability to perform party a ‘tank turn,’ where the truck is able to spin within its own length, and ‘crab-walking’ using four-wheel steering. The tank turn feature was announced for the Rivian R1T, while crab-walking capability is available on the GMC Hummer EV.
Performance
As per the Cybertruck website, the vehicle can launch from zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds. However, Tesla hasn’t revealed how quickly a quad-motor Cybertruck could conquer the same sprint.
At the Cybertruck's introduction, Musk announced that the single-motor version would be able to go from zero to 60 mph in a quick-for-a-truck 6.5 seconds.
Range
The Cybertruck will come with a range of up to 500 miles on a single charge, as per the website. However, at the unveiling, it was announced that the dual-motor all-wheel-drive Cybertruck would have a range of around 300 miles while the single-motor model would have an estimated range of 250 miles on a single charge.
The company has not announced an estimated range for the now-expected quad-moto setup.
Charging
The Tesla Cybertruck will be able to charge from multiple sources ranging from Level 1 household outlets to Level 3 DC fast-charging stations.
It will also be able to access Tesla's proprietary Supercharger network of DC fast-charging stations.
Details about charging rates and time for the Cybertruck have not been announced.
Other features
The Cybertruck will have an adaptive air suspension which will allow the owner to raise or lower the truck four inches in either direction. It will also offer a self-levelling and driver assistance function.
The Cybertruck prototypes show no physical door handles, thus, the doors may open automatically in the presence of the phone or key fob.
The Cybertruck will come with 3,500 pounds of payload capacity with 100 cubic feet of exterior and lockable storage.
It will have a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds as per the Tesla website.
Elon Musk had earlier tweeted that the Cybertruck should be "waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat,” and be able to cross rivers, lakes and seas that are not too choppy.
Price
At the initial introduction in 2019, Elon Musk stated that the Cybertruck would have a starting price of $39,900 for the single-motor rear-wheel-drive model and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive would start at $49,900, while a tri-motor all-wheel-drive would start at $69,900.
No update has been announced for the four-motor Cybertruck,
Currently, customers can reserve a Cybertruck with a $100 deposit.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Nov 2, 2022 12:25 PM IST
